Improved wagon-brake



I C. H. MILLS.- Wagon Brake.

Patented April 13, 1869.

o. H. MFLL s, 0 F R AV E N N A, 0 H I 0.

Letters Patent No. 88,796, dated April 13, 1869.

IMPROVED WAGON-BRAKE.

The Schedule referred to in these Letters Patent andmaking part of thesame.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, G. H. Mints, of Ravenna, in the county of Portage,and State of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inCar- ;riage-Brakes; and I do hereby declarethat the following is a fulland complete description of the same, reference being bad to theaccompanying drawings, making part of this specification, in which-Figure 1 is a side view of the carriage and brake.

Figure 2, a top view.

Figure 3, a view of the under side.

Like-letters of reference refer to like parts in the difl'erent viewspresented.

This invention has in view the application of a brake, or look to thehind wheels of an ordinary wagon or carriage, by means .of certaindevices attached to and opelated by the forward axle-tree, in connectionwith the reach, whereby the lock is self-applying, thus dispensing withthe use of levers, employed in operating the ordinary carriage-brake.

In fig. 2, A represents the front wheels, and B, the hind wheels of acarriage, of which 0 G are the axletrees, and D, the reach, all of whichis or may be constructed in the ordinary way.

To the forward axle O, is attached a sliding link, E, fig. 3, by meansof the bow F, said how being secured to the-lower end of the king-bolt,whereas the upper end of the bolt is secured to the link, on theopposite side of the axle-tree G.

By this means, the bolt is retained in a vertical po sition, and allowsthe axle-tree to turn horizontally, as indicated by the dotted lines a,for guiding-the carriage.

The link E is attached to the reach by means of the bands G, embracingthe link and reach, but not so tightly but that the link is free toslide backward and forward'a certain distance, for a purpose hereinaftershown. r

For further security in the attachment of the link to the axle-tree, aslot, b, is cut in the link, for the reception of pins 0, secured in andprojecting from the reach.

Said pins assist in restraining the link from lateral displacement,without embarrassing the sliding movement of the axle-tree and link, andwhich is regulated, in the distance of its longitudinal movement, by thecheck-plate H, interposed between the link and. reach, theends of saidplate being turned up at each end,

against which the link abuts in its movements, and is thereby restrictedto a limited distance, as above said ment of the apparatus, thepractical operation of the same is as follows, viz:

It will be obvious that, on descending a hill, or other down-grade, thefront wheels will be forced back by the exertions of the team, or thehind ones forward, in consequence of the longitudinal freedom allowed tothe front axle-tree, in its connection with the reach. This backwardmovement of the front axle-tree will force back the link and transversebar, thereby bringing the cams hard against the hind wheels, thestrength of the pressure exerted upon them being in proportion to thegrade of the descent, or weight of the load and carriage, thereby mosteffectually locking the hind wheels, and preventing the wagon fromdescending too fast The foot of the grade being reached, the brake isreleased from the wheels by the pulling forward of the front axletree,and again applied on the descent of another hill, or grade.

By this device, it will be seenthat no thought, care, or effort isrequired, on the part of the driver, to-lock the carriage, it being selfoperating, and applied more or less strongly upon the wheels, as thedescent or the grade may require.

On locking the carriage, no obstruction is offered to the wheels by thebrake, as the reverse movement of the wheels will so turn the cams, thatthe shortest radii of the eccentric will be brought facing the wheels,without contact therewith, and therefore will not prevent the wheelsfrom turning.

I do not confine myself to any one particular manner of attaching theaxle-tree to the reach; but,

What I claim as my improvement, and desire-to secure by Letters Patent,is-

The cams K, and cross-bar I, in combination with the sliding link E andpivoted axle-tree 0, arranged in relation to each other, substantiallyas and for the purpose set forth.

Witnesses: O. H. MILLS.

J. H. BURRIDGE, E. E. WAITE.

